Gov. Bill Richardson on Wednesday named two Los Alamos scientists to a newly created panel that will assess and promote using solar energy to produce electrical power in the state.
At a news conference during the North American Energy Summit at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Albuquerque, Richardson announced that Dennis Erickson of the Associate Directorate for Weapons Physics (ADWP) and Ben Luce of Mathematical Modeling and Analysis (T-7) will serve on his 14-member Solar Task Force. The three-day energy policy meeting is sponsored by the Western Governor's Association, which Richardson chairs.
Richardson said the task force will be led by Joanna Prukop, secretary of the state Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. The task force will develop a proposal for a large solar electric facility in New Mexico by the end of this year, he said.
Richardson also reiterated an earlier commitment by the State Legislature that New Mexico will produce at least 10 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2010 and officially designated New Mexico the "Clean Energy State."
"I want our state to be one of the nation's leading suppliers of clean energy -- wind, solar, biomass and zero-emission coal," Richardson said. "We are investing millions of dollars of state funds in energy efficiency and clean energy for public buildings. And we will continue to use tax incentives to encourage high-efficiency cars and biomass projects."
Erickson represents the Lab on the task force. Luce is the president of the Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy and a leader in the New Mexico Solar Energy Association. Erickson, who recently completed an assignment as Gov. Richardson's science policy adviser, has worked at the Laboratory for more than 30 years and held a variety of senior management positions.
Others appointed to the panel include Thomas Mancini from Sandia National Laboratories and Mark Mehos from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo.
At the summit, staff from the Laboratory's Office of Energy and Environment Initiatives (OEEI) took part in panel discussions and presented poster displays about Los Alamos' renewable energy programs.
The governor also announced the state's support for an effort to locate a solar panel assembly facility in Taos. The Kit Carson Electric Cooperative will work with SolarPort of Taos, Spire Corp. of Bedford, Mass. and New Energy Capital of Wellesley Hills, Mass. in the effort, which he said will generate solar energy equipment for rural communities in Northern New Mexico.
--Jim Danneskiold
